British Quakers have announced that they are calling for a boycott of goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This is a brave decision, given the volume of abuse, hate mail and downright lies that faced the Methodist Church when they made a similar decision. With this in mind, there are important points that must be remembered about the Quakers' position.

The 'Palestine Papers' published by al Jazeera, giving a detailed insight into the negotiating tactics of the PLO leadership, raise crucial and difficult issues for Palestinians, says Harry Hagopian. But could the world community convert the attention into another initiative for peace with justice in the region?